The Binghamton Senators coach and assistant Steve Stirling pushed to keep Pageau in the pros when Ottawa discussed sending him back to his junior team.

Jean-Gabriel Pageau made his name known across most of North America on Sunday night after scoring three goals in the Ottawa Senators’ 6-1 victory over the visiting Montreal Canadiens in Game 3 of their NHL first-round playoff series.

Pageau’s gutsy goal while taking a stick to the face by Montreal’s P.K. Subban might have cost him a tooth, but it made him an overnight sensation and inspired a parody of the “Ole” chant with fans singing “Pageau” repeatedly.

So when coach Luke Richardson spoke to the media as the Binghamton Senators cleaned out their lockers last Friday, he revealed Pageau was close to being sent back to juniors during training camp in Binghamton because of the crowded roster due to the National Hockey League lockout.

A recap of all three Pageau goals, beginning with the one that cost him a tooth.

Richardson, with the urging of assistant coach Steve Stirling, pushed to keep Pageau in the American Hockey League when brass in Ottawa were discussing the possibility of returning him to Quebec Major Junior Hockey League. He called it a great decision.

“We had so many numbers because of the lockout year they struggled on whether we should keep him or send him back to an overage junior,” Richardson said. “We really liked him in training camp and exhibition games and we wanted to keep him. We pushed for that and I think it turned out.

“For me it was not one of the biggest surprises but one of the best decisions.”

Richardson mentioned Pageau’s name when asked about the benefit of having a veteran coach like Stirling on his staff, and the decisions he has helped out with.

“Some suggestions here and there… He let me come in and be the head coach,” Richardson said. “He’s supportive in all of the decisions I make and anything I’m struggling with he always had a real quick suggestion that helped out perfectly.”

Pageau played a defensive role in the first two months of the season but his offensive production began to pick up once the lockout ended. He had 29 points (7 goals-22 assists) in 69 games with the B-Sens before being called up to the Senators on April 10. It was a surprising move at the time with other players left in Binghamton that had previous stints with Ottawa, but general manager Bryan Murray reiterated that the best player will be called up when another body is needed.

Pageau, who was a fourth-round pick in 2011, had an assist in his first NHL game and scored a goal in his second. He finished the regular season with four points (2-2) in nine games. Pageau was scoreless in Ottawa’s first two playoff games but exploded for three goals in Game 3.

The 20-year-old lost his tooth while scoring his first goal to give Ottawa a 2-1 lead in the second period. Pageau picked his tooth up from the ice while celebrating the goal, skated to the bench and put it in the glove of Robin Lehner, another player that began the year in Binghamton.